Just Be Quiet
by Repentant Wrecker
Summary: A FanFiction developing and expanding on the 'Chico is Quiet' theory. Witness a journey, from the rebirth to the Phantom Pain, and how Quiet became a legend of the battlefield.
1. Chapter 1

Just Be Quiet

A Metal Gear Solid FanFiction

Chapter One: Punishment

**(*****)**

**A/N: **This Fanfic will be dealing with the nine year timeskip between MGSV: GZ and MGSV: PP, and the idea of Chico becoming Quiet during that time, and the journey behind that theory. While I am in support of the theory, I realise that not everyone would agree with me. Everyone has the right to their opinion. If you wish to leave a review, please don't flame, but please criticise in a constructive manner. Your words are important to me and I enjoy knowing where I've gone wrong.

**Warning: **Death, torture, mentions of sex/rape, self-mutilation, profanity, and gender identity issues. Also, Skull Face, and my attempts to make him even worse.

**Rating: **Mature/NC – 17

**Characters: **Chico/Quiet, Kaz, Paz, Big Boss, Skull Face, Huey

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, more's the pity.

**Special Thanks: **To Hideo Kojima for producing the MGS series, Zoehi on deviantART for their work 'Just be quiet Metal Gear' which got the plot bunny jumping and serves as the cover image, and heroX7 on the same for helping me with refining some of the plot.

**(*****)**

"_Your favourite song… Nicola, Bart – immigrants, wrongly executed… But their deaths served as a message to others: that ours is a society that murders the innocent. Do you, too, believe that your sacrifice will change the world?"_

_**Skull Face, Camp Omega, 1975**_

**(*****)**

"_Snake!"_

"_The explosion was nothing but a smokescreen…"_

"_This isn't right! That was ours…"_

"_Bomb! There's a—"_

"_It's alright. We got it out." _

"_There's another… in my…"_

"_**NO!"**_

**(*****)**

Through the windows, the sun burnt a blinding white.

Chico lurched forward off the gurney in a blind panic, adrenaline pumping through his veins as the nightmare ended and reality beckoned. His body screamed as he hit the floor, and he screamed with it, pain in its purest form washing over him like water. Whimpering, oblivious to the arms that encircled his abused body and placed him gently back on the gurney, the gruesome images replayed behind his eyes. Mother Base in flames and ruins, his compas dying in droves, Paz…

He wanted to be sick.

Dimly, he could hear people rushing around him, could feel hands touching his wounds, applying salves and bandages. He cautiously opened his eyes again, slowly this time to give them time to adjust to the brightness. There were men and women dressed in white, doctors and nurses obviously, congregating around someone in his line of sight. The nurse in front of him moved out of the way, and he saw a blood-stained figure with an eye patch whom served as the centre of attention. On the far side of the room, another man on a gurney, equally slathered in blood and wearing a pair of aviators, watched them go about their work, anguish and pain twisting handsome features.

"Don't you die on me, damn it," he cursed as Chico looked on in dawning horror. That was Kazuhira Miller, second in command of Militaries Sans Frontières, and there was only one person in the world he'd look that stricken for. The soldier who was a legend in the eyes of the battlefield, the hero who had saved the world three times over from nuclear destruction, the man that treated all his comrades as his own family…

The friend that had convinced Chico to live on and stand tall as a new man, who had saved him from the depths of hell even when by rights he should have left him behind.

He lay there, limp and unmoving, not quite dead, but not quite ready to join the land of the living.

'_Snake!'_

Just as realisation poured through Chico's mind, the heart rate monitor started flat-lining, the shrill tone screaming through the eardrums of those present. Doctors rushed around the fallen soldier, doing everything they could to bring him back to the land of the living. He could barely hear the staff as they rushed, but Chico's eye, so good at noticing details, caught one thing in particular.

_**FOX**_

_**XOF**_

_**A monster masquerading as a man, his tone civil and chillingly calm, and his face ruined to the form of a skull**_

"_**Your boss and I go way back." **_

"Clear," snarled a doctor as he defibrillated the inert form, a cool sweat clinging to his brow in response to the life or death situation. The charge went through Snake's body, but there was no improvement from the monitor. In a flash another member of staff started pumping Snake's chest before giving up. "No response! Hit him again," he ordered his colleague, who complied. Again the FOX patch caught Chico's eye, the start of a connection forming in his mind.

"Clear," the doctor cried again, and this time it worked. The monitor started steadily beating at a regular rate, confirming Snake's survival. Chico let out an inaudible sigh of relief. Whatever was up there hadn't abandoned them yet.

"How's he doing," Kaz asked from the other side of the room. The doctor had his back to Chico but the boy imagined a small frown on his face "Well, he's stabilised," he replied, "but it took too long. He's in a coma." As he spoke the nurse that had been blocking Chico's line of sight moved again and he saw Kaz again, with the blond staring as if he was only just noticing him.

"What about him," he almost snarled and Chico flinched at the venom in his tone. He knew Kaz was angry, knew that he wanted to blame someone, and that he was directly responsible for passing information on MSF and Mother Base. It didn't make him any less nervous of the older man. If there wasn't a comatose Snake and his own wounds between them, there was no doubt the soldier would be grappling him and demanding answers.

The doctor attending to Chico chose to speak up at that point. "Broken ribs," he noted dryly, "numerous scars and welts which were inflicted prior to this accident, a hole in his chest resembling a headphone jack, broken leg, and to top it all off bolts driven through his heels for whatever reason." He locked eyes with Chico and gave a sincere smile. "You'll make it if you get the right treatment, but I don't think you'll be walking again son." His expression promptly turned stony. "Who did _this_ to you?"

_**Chico screamed as the first bolt pierced through his tendons. The soldier in charge hit him until his cry had morphed into a sobbing whimper. "Prepare yourself for round two," he intoned emotionlessly, and nodded to his subordinate to continue. **_

_**Every time a bolt screwed through flesh, Chico screamed and cried. Every time he did so, he was beaten until he stopped, at which point the procedure continued. It was a vicious cycle. **_

_**This was his reward. This was his punishment. And all throughout, Skull Face watched impassively, his amusement hidden under sheer professionalism. Leaning on the bars, he grinned at the stricken boy.**_

"_**Can't make this too easy for your boss, can we?"**_

A loud grunt shook Chico from the painful memory. Kaz, despite his injuries, had propped himself on one arm and was trying to shift the rest of his body off the gurney. "Why," he hissed at the prone boy, "why the hell do you get to live after what you've done!?" With a mighty effort he pulled himself upright, barely catching an I.V. to stabilise himself.

"It's because of _you_ that we lost everyone! It's because of _you_ that those bastards destroyed our dream! It's because of _**you**_that Snake's in a coma!" A doctor tried to restrain the blond but Kaz shook him off roughly. "Did you hear that Chico? The men who trusted you, the people who were your comrades are dead because you bleated like a sheep! Guess history decided to repeat itself. You sold us out, just like you did your compas!" He started forward, inching around the unresponsive Snake. "Well Chico? You got anything to say?"

"Th-they were hurting Paz-"

"I don't give a **damn **about that bitch," Kaz roared as he limped even closer. "She betrayed us and by all rights she should have died a long time ago. What did you think was going to happen when you decided to play 'hero'? That you'd rescue the girl like in the movies and everything would be sugar and rainbows? What did they do to get you to talk? Promise the two of you a way out? A fresh start as Mr and Mrs Valenciano Libre? No, don't answer, I already know. You decided that everyone, every damn person on Mother Base, meant absolutely **nothing** compared to a traitor you deluded yourself into thinking loved you!"

"I…I…"

"Oh, so now you decide to go quiet on us," Kaz sneered in disgust. "Where was that muteness when it _**really goddamn**_ mattered, huh?" Tears streamed down his face in grief and rage, and Chico could feel his own falling down his cheeks. With strength born of anger Kaz lunged at Chico, pinning the teenager under his more developed physique. "Oh, don't you dare cry! You don't have the **fucking** right to that, you hear me you lousy traitor!?" Bandages tore under Kaz's hands and wounds reopened, soaking Chico's prison uniform in fresh blood. "It should have been you that died! It should have been **YOU!**"

"Sir, stop this" a third voice entered the fray. Another man, his face covered in his own bandages, grabbed Kaz's shoulders and pulled with a heroic effort. "Sir, please! You could kill him!" The blond snarled at him, "That's the plan!" Chico gasped for breath as Kaz's crushing hands found their way to his throat. The Medic gave another fruitless tug before an orderly, whom had been standing by in shock, rushed over to help.

Kaz struggled even as they restrained him. "You're a piece of work alright. You sell us out, then decide to feel bad about it? If I ever," the aviators fell off as he was pushed back on the gurney and Chico recoiled at the pure loathing and hatred in his superior's eyes, "if I ever see your face again you _**son of a bitch**_, I'll make you suffer for what you've done, _**traitor**_!" Behind Chico, the orderly pushed the gurney through the doors leading to the hall, and the last the scout saw of Kazuhira Miller was his face, his features distorted by hate and grief, and his eyes smouldering with the embers of revenge.

The injured boy was pushed through the adjacent hallway, as sterile as the emergency room. If there was anything different to it, Chico didn't notice. Inside his mind, he replayed Kaz's words over and over again, each repetition more painful than the last.

_Traitor,_

_**Traitor,**_

_**TRAITOR!**_

He was starting to feel lightheaded, and for some reason the pain was leaving, only to be replaced with a freezing numbness in its wake as brilliant red life-blood steadily vacated his body. Dimly, he could hear the orderly call out for help, before everything went dark.

**(*****)**

"_Chico…wake up…."_

_Chico groaned as the voice reverberated through his head. No, he silently begged, just leave me be._

"_Get up!"_

_With great effort, if only to make the voice stop, he opened his weary eyes, and wished he hadn't. Skull Face stood behind bars in all his grotesque glory. Or rather Chico was behind bars, as the rain and wind blew up a storm through his cage. His torturer smiled at him, and disappeared in a blinding flash of lightning. _

_When the light had vanished, Chico realised that he was standing, and more importantly, who was strung up in front of him. Paz, beaten, whipped, and naked, but still beautiful despite all that, looked at him with determination and resignation in her eyes. With a lurch he realised where he was. No, he begged, anything but this._

"_What's the matter boy?" Chico shuddered as a faux-friendly arm draped itself over his shoulder. "I thought I told you to get on with it?" The arm tightened briefly in thought, as if its owner was considering the implications behind Chico's hesitance. "Ah, of course! Doubtlessly such a," a mocking pause, "repulsive woman has left you quite unable to perform. No matter. I've…prepared for this." The arm withdrew, and Skull Face entered Chico's vision, a bottle of unmarked pills in one hand and a canteen in the other. "These," he gestured to the pills, "are to help your performance while this," now the canteen jiggled, "will help you keep it down." A nod to an unseen figure, and Chico felt an impact centred on his back, making him bend over in pain. As he opened his mouth to cry in surprise, a pill was shoved into his mouth, and then water flooded it. Choking, he didn't resist as Skull Face pushed him towards Paz. "How's it feel now then," he chuckled with grim amusement. _

_Chico trembled as his body started 'reacting' to the drugs, unable to look Paz in the eyes while blood rushed to his lower body. No, he couldn't, he couldn't do THIS to her, he couldn't…_

_A clap of hands. "Let's get the show going, shall we?"_

_With great effort, he raised his eyes to meets Paz's, and saw courage that he knew he never had._

"_Begin."_

_And with that the world changed again._

_MSF personnel fighting against the unknown forces, dying in droves. A soldier took a shot to the head, and Snake charged back out, pure rage fuelling his charge. Another flash and Snake was lying on the gurney, his life fading fast and the doctors slathered in his blood. Chico stumbled forward, and a final flash lit up._

_Paz was before him again, lying on the chopper bench, free yet trapped. Chico blinked and Snake and the medic were cutting her open. She screamed as Snake's hands dug around inside her intestines, and Chico found his hands pushing down on her stomach, nausea rushing through his stomach as he tried to keep as much of her guts inside her as he possibly could. _

_He shut his eyes once again, and when he opened them, hell rose before him._

_Fire ate its way through Mother Base as it sank into the sea, and with it so many lives, hopes, and dreams. The man beside him cried hysterically as Morpho flew them away from the destruction. Tentatively, Chico tried to comfort him as best he could under the circumstances. Raised voices caused him to turn around and see Kaz manhandling Paz. He grabbed the man's shoulders, only to be thrown back, and the scene fast-forwarded to the worst part._

_Paz, her face panicked and drawn, opening the hatch of the helicopter,_

_The jump, Snake lunging forward to stop her,_

_The explosion…_

_The dead accusing him with glares, wounds that had killed them highlighted in bright crimson,_

_A XOF patch burning itself on his retinas, _

"_Growing up means choosing how to live your life."_

"_You're a 'real man' now, soldier."_

"_NO!"_

"_**NO!**__"_

A cry of anguish ripped from Chico's throat as he was wrenched back into consciousness. Drenched in sweat and panicking, he threw the sheets covering him to the ground and stood, only to collapse as his legs buckled beneath him. Blood surged through his brain as he tried to pick himself up. With a heroic effort, he grabbed the railing attached to the bed and stood, pain flaring through his tendons. Tears welled in his eyes as the nightmare caught up with him.

Kaz, Skull Face, Paz, they had all been right, Chico realised with cold clarity. He had played the traitor, fitted into the role like he was born for it. Hell, maybe he was. Selling people out seemed to be a running trend when it came to him. His compas, then MSF, who else would his cowardice betray?

Within his mind, the voices resonated their condemnation.

_Traitor!_

_TRAITOR!_

_**TRAITOR!**_

Groaning, he tried to take his mind off of the phantoms by appraising the plain room he'd been placed in. Small, with an ajar door leading out to a hallway, and a tray of medical utensils and medicines on a countertop. With no one else in sight, the evidence suggested someone had left the room in a rush or they were just sloppy and unprofessional. Something shiny caught his eye.

A simple scalpel laid on the tray, polished metal gleaming in the stark light. Suddenly, with the same clarity, Chico knew what he must do. It was simple really. All he had to do was make sure he'd never sell out anyone ever again.

Slowly, as if he was still in a dream, he grabbed the tool from the tray, urging himself not to back down. With slow and deliberate movements, he raised it to his mouth and placed it on his tongue, the sharp, cool metal sending a wave of fear through his body.

_Paz screaming at him, strung up against the wall, bloody yet defiant,_

A movement of the arm. A voiceless howl. Blinding pain. A splatter as the organ fell to the floor. Blood filling his mouth.

"_How does it feel to play the traitor?"_

He hacked at the tongue, focused all his hate and pain and self-loathing into the task as blood dribbled down his chin. Tears flowed freely as he soldiered through the pain, as he sliced through tender meat and turned it into ribbons. He didn't even hear the nurse scream and run for the doctor as she walked in, so fixated on his task, his punishment.

They forced him back on the bed, restrained him to prevent any more self-inflicted injures, and as they staunched the bleeding from his mouth, all Chico could think of was the faces of the dead, eyes boring into his soul with their judgement.

'_This is the least I deserve…'_

**(*****)**

Morpho limped down the hall, leaning heavily on the loaned cane he was given. He'd come out of the crash with only moderate injuries to show for it, the worst being some shrapnel in his back and a wrenched leg. To say he got off lightly was an understatement: by all rights he should have been in an even worse condition than Snake. Still, maybe some deity up on high decided to cut MSF a break and let them all live. Maybe they were just being toyed with.

Shit, it didn't matter. Morpho had more pressing issues on hand anyways.

Here it was. Room 113. He knocked once before entering quietly and shutting the door behind him. What was about to go down was for MSF ears only.

The kid lay unmoving on the bed, silent as the grave, and if not for the slight rise and fall of his chest, he could be mistaken for being dead. He made no attempt to acknowledge Morpho's presence, and his dulled eyes stared at the ceiling unblinkingly. According to the nurse that gave him the directions to the room, he'd stayed like that ever since he'd cut his own tongue out, an act that made Morpho shudder in sympathy pains. The pilot gingerly moved towards a seat and sat, stifling a groan as he did.

For a while, quiet reigned supreme, the boy incapable of speaking, and the pilot formulating his thoughts. Morpho winced as he leaned forward and started to speak.

"Kid," no, kid didn't sound right. "Chico," he amended quickly, "I've, ah, got a few things I'd like to discuss with you." Right, discuss with a mute. Great phrasing right there.

No response. Right.

"Look, I wanted to say that…not all of us hate you. The MSF survivors, I mean." Morpho ducked his head as he rattled his mind for the right words. "A lot of them are pissed off royally at you. No, that's an understatement. They're baying for your blood right now, claiming that if you hadn't….broken…back at Camp Omega none of this wouldn't have happened. Heck, a few of them were all for putting a bullet in you or worse until Commander Miller stepped in."

A slight shift of the neck, and they were eye to eye. Now he had the boy's attention.

"He said you weren't worth the bullet."

Chico resumed staring at the ceiling.

"Uh…anyways, the Commander's grouping everyone back together. Anyone who was off-base or got off in time is to regroup back at the base in Columbia and figure out where to go from there. The Boss," here Morpho bit back a sigh of despair at the memory of the legend trapped in his coma, "is going to remain here for the time being until he wakes up or if something changes. Doc said he that they have no clue when or if he'll wake up though, but the Commander's made all the arrangements."

Still no response. All right, commence Plan B.

"I brought something for you," the pilot muttered as he pulled an object out of his dressing gown. Chico's stomach lurched as he watched from the corner of his eye.

It was his Walkman. By some small miracle it had survived the crash as well. Morpho deposited it on his bed, headphones and all, and grinned at him. "Nice surprise, huh? One of the other guy's pulled it from the crash site before we were evacuated here. Little dinged up but," he tapped the device gently, "it's still able to play cassette tapes. Heck, someone even put a tape in for you!"

Chico stared at the Walkman for some time before nodding and giving a wan smile. Morpho had given him it as a friendly gesture, and that deserved some recognition, didn't it?

Morpho grinned wider, bolstered by his success before his expression turned serious again. "Look Chico, I came here because I wanted to let you know that I don't blame you for what happened at Camp Omega, alright? Shit I," he grasped for the words, "I can't imagine how much you went through down there. Both you and Paz were victims, even if you broke. I saw both of you when the Boss extracted you and you both looked like you went through the wringer. I mean," he nodded at Chico's useless tendons, "that's brutal, especially on someone your age. And that bomb stunt they pulled with Paz?" He shook his head in disgust, "That was just plain wrong on so many levels."

Chico felt moved by Morpho's impassioned spiel. Sympathy for him, and more importantly Paz, would be few and far between the remaining MSF personnel. Struggling to a sitting position, he held his hand out to the pilot, and tentatively, they shook with respect and understanding. The older man smiled at him, appreciative of the effort. "I guess you're a real man now, eh soldier," he teased.

Suddenly it felt like the temperature had dropped ten degrees in the room. Chico's hand yanked itself back and where there had been a smile was now a fierce scowl. His eyes burned with barely restrained anger, and surprisingly self-loathing, and Morpho instinctively knew that his welcome was over.

"I'll, uh, see myself out," he stammered as he picked himself out of the chair. "You don't have to worry about the bills for your treatment. Doc talked Kaz into doing you one last favour after he said they weren't gonna kill you." Chico made no move to acknowledge his words and sunk back down to the bed listlessly. With a backward glance, Morpho opened the door and left the room, knowing in his heart that he'd just said the wrong thing.

Chico scowled as Morpho's words, mingled with the sour notes of Skull Face, played through his head. A real man, huh? Maybe, once upon a time, he would have taken that as a compliment and be proud. Now though it only served to remind him of his failings and misdeeds towards those he cared about, a statement that filled him with shame and remorse.

Ever since he'd been a small boy he'd wanted to prove himself to his family and compas, to prove that he was one of them. He'd mapped terrain, gathered food when rations were low, cleaned and maintained weapons, all to make them treat him as a man and not as a child. Well, he was a 'man' now, and it sure as hell didn't feel like anything remotely close to what he'd envisioned. If anything, he reflected, Paz had shown the qualities that he had lacked. The courage to defy her captors to the end, the strength to withstand their torture, the compassion to comfort one whom didn't deserve it…

Shifting his body, he felt an object digging into his side. Grasping it, Chico realised that it was his Walkman, forgotten during his self-reflection. The tape was still inside and the boy couldn't help but feel apprehensive about it. Morpho claimed that it was placed there by someone, which in turn meant that it could have come from anywhere. For all he knew it was one of Skull Face's recordings, a reminder of the monster he didn't really need.

Still, it was there, and Chico remembered a saying Snake had told him once. Inquiry killed the Ocelot or something?

Don't be stupid, he chided himself as he fitted the headphones in. At the very least he could tear the headphones out if the subject matter proved to be too personal, right? Repositioning himself, he pressed Play.

A familiar clearing of a throat.

Wait…

"_Chico."_

Paz….

**(*****)**

"_I am borrowing your recorder. Hope you do not mind." Paz glanced around the cage, checking to see if any guards had heard her speak. They hadn't, and so she continued on, the unaware Chico snoring softly by her side._

"_I know it hurts right now, but it will all be over soon. Just thinking that helps keeps the pain away." Oh yes it did. Chico's being here meant many things; the idea that MSF would no doubt launch a recovery operation now that he was captured chief among them._

_But most of all, Chico was a symbol of something she had almost forsaken: hope._

"_Chico…I would do anything to get you out of here." That was truth, pure and simple. She'd die before letting anymore harm come to him, especially from that monster. "It is funny…I have never helped anyone else before, only Cipher. That is the truth."_

"_I…I never imagined you would come for me." If anything she'd imagined Snake, his eyes blazing with hurt and suspicion, coming to her rescue, not Chico, the boy that had always had a kind word for her and was so amusingly shy when they spoke. "I was not very nice at first, I know. But I did not mean it. I…I was afraid they would try to use you, somehow." They had in their depraved ways, and Paz mentally vowed that Cipher and Skull Face would be punished for harming Chico, be it by her hand or another's. "But to be honest… Having you with me here put my mind at ease. I hope that does not sound selfish. I thought I would never make it." On an impulse she placed a hand on his head and stroked his hair with fondness. He shifted slightly and curled up closer to her, his expression softening, and Paz felt her heart glow at seeing him find a small measure of peace._

"_But together, I think we can. I am watching you sleep as I record this. You have made me believe. That I will make it out of here… And that – no matter what happens – it will not be the end for me."_

_Softly, so as to not wake the slumbering boy, Paz bent and placed her lips on his forehead in a gentle butterfly kiss._

"_Thank you, Chico."_

**(*****)**

As Paz's soft soothing voice faded away, Chico felt fresh tears running down his cheeks. She…she had believed in him? Even after everything he'd done to her, she still saw him as a beacon of hope?

Reverently, he closed his eyes tight, and in the steadfast quiet made a vow.

"_This is not the end for you Paz. No matter what has happened, you will live on through me."_

"_For peace."_

"_For justice."_

"_For hope."_

"_For love."_

"_I will remember you as you were."_

Never again would Chico fail another human soul like he had Paz. Never again would he betray those he called compas. Never again would he submit to the monsters of the world.

In that moment, that one perfect moment of clarity, Ricardo Valenciano Libre ceased to be.

"_From now on, I will be…..Quiet….."_

**(*****)**

The on duty nurse glanced at the chart in front of her. "Are you sure that Mr Libre knows you?" She frowned at the man on the other side of the desk. "No one's come to see him in the last two months, and forgive me for being discourteous, but you don't look like family."

"That's not a problem Miss. Chico knows me well enough."

"Very well. As long as you follow our regulations, I'll allow you to see him. To whom shall I refer to you as then, sir?"

The paraplegic adjusted his glasses and gave a nervous smile.

"Mr Huey Emmerich."

**(*****)**

**A/N: **Annnnnd that's a wrap!

So, what did you think? Please leave a review if you have the time, and thank you for reading. Chapter Two will begin its first draft soon.

Until then!

(P.S. did you see Mother Base at the end of the E3 demo? The Phantom Pain is shaping up to be as awesome as it is dark.)


	2. Chapter 2

Just Be Quiet

A Metal Gear Solid FanFiction

Chapter Two: Reunion

**(*****)**

**A/N: **Thank you to my reviewers and followers! Your deeds give the passion to continue, and I hope to receive more in the future. Now this chapter we deal with both Chico/Quiet and Huey, whom has a bucket load of regrets (the road to hell _**is **_paved with good intentions) and there's a plan forming in our protagonist's mind. Let's git her done!

**Warning**: Refer to Chapter One for the warnings.

**Rating: **Mature / NC – 17

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but this fic. If I did own Metal Gear, I honestly think the series would suffer.

**Characters: **Chico/Quiet, Huey

**Special Thanks: **To Hideo Kojima for the source material, heroX7/NeoX7 for their incredible help in thrashing out some plot points, an anonymous friend who has shown great critiquing skills, and to those whom favoured/followed this story.

**(*****)**

"_- utterly totalled. Most of the staff went down with the base too. The lucky ones got off before we arrived."_

"_Oh no…."_

"_We rescued Commander Miller and Bengal but that was it. The rest of his fireteam died in the middle of extraction."_

"_What about Snake?"_

"_The Boss is in a coma. The doctors don't have a clue when he'll wake up. To make matters worse, his arm got wrecked in the crash. They had to amputate."_

"_At least he's still alive, thank goodness. What about Chico? How's he doing?"_

"_The kid's messed up. Cut his tongue out a while after he got chewed out by the Commander. He's mute now. He ain't telling anyone why he did it, but I think he did it as some sort of penance. And that's not adding everything that happened with Camp Omega into account."_

"_And Paz?"_

"_Dead. We extracted her after Chico but they'd implanted a pair of bombs in her. We got one out but we didn't have a clue about the second. She woke up just in time to throw herself out of my bird before it detonated but we still got hit by the blast. That's how we crashed in the first place."_

"_Damn it…"_

"_Most of the others, the Commander especially, aren't happy with either you or Chico. Turtle and I managed to convince him to leave Chico be for the meantime but I have no clue what will happen if you show up here. After all, you were the one to invite the IAEA inspection team."_

"_I-I know that Morpho. If anything, they're right in blaming me. Even if we all got played, I was the one who opened the gates for their Trojan horse."_

"_Look, Huey….I gotta ask you a favour."_

"_Y-yes?"_

"_We're moving out in about a week. The Commander's been in contact with the other survivors and the guys that got put on R&R and we're rendezvousing in Columbia. The Boss is gonna stay here until he wakes up, but we're also leaving Chico behind as well. His injuries make it impractical for us to properly treat him, and even if he could walk-"_

"_Wait, Chico can't walk?"_

"_You'll see when you get here, trust me. There's no one else I can turn to now."_

"_What about Amanda? She's his sister. Shouldn't she be the one to see him?"_

"_Amanda and the other Sandinistas practically vetoed him out of the group when they found out he survived. They're just as pissed as everyone else at you two. Amanda's disowned him to boot. For all she cares, he's dead to her."_

"_Poor Chico…."_

"_Yeah. That's where you come in Huey. The kid's got no one in his corner but you and me, and I'm not gonna be here much longer."_

"_What do you need me to do?"_

"_I need you to come see Chico when the heat's died down. Nothing good will happen if you show up right now. Stay under the radar and don't try to contact anyone else from MSF. Once you're here, see what you can do for Chico. I'm sure the two of you will figure out where to go from there."_

"_Alright then. Would two months be sufficient?"_

"_That'd be peachy. And Huey?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_Take care of yourselves, alright?"_

"_We will. Stay safe out there Morpho."_

_**A secret phone call between MSF pilot Morpho and MSF R&D specialist Huey Emmerich, 9:46 PM UST, March 19, 1975**_

**(*****)**

_**10:45 AM, May 24, 1975 – A hospital located in/around Havana**_

Chico sighed as he placed his novel down on the bedside table. It was an understatement to say he was bored. Morpho had promised before he left with the rest of MSF that someone would be coming to see him in a few months, stating that this person would aid him. Privately he had wondered whom Morpho had meant but had nevertheless smiled and given a thumbs up to his friend. It had at the very least given him something to look forward to.

For the duration, he found himself occupied by attempts at communication. He had at first used a pen and pad when answering the staff's questions but at a doctor's recommendation he had started practicing mouthing his words and learning sign language. Progress was slow but Chico felt pleased when he was able to hold a simple conversation both ways. Despite this he was still confined to either his bed or a wheelchair, his inability to walk a constant source of frustration.

He didn't realise how much freedom of movement meant until it was gone.

Even worse was the sheer _helplessness _he felt when he thought about his…goal. The surgery itself would take a lot of cash, and he wasn't exactly rolling in it. Heck, if it hadn't been for Morpho's assistance, he'd be on the streets of Havana right now. For Quiet to truly come to life, this obstacle needed to be overcome.

While he'd been in absorbed in his thoughts, he failed to notice the figure by the threshold of his room. A small cough alerted him, and he raised his eyes to see someone he'd thought gone with Mother Base.

"Good morning Chico!"

_Huey!_

**(*****)**

Huey grinned at his young friend, pleased at how the scout beamed in turn. It was good to see him smile; from the information he'd received from Morpho, Chico doubtlessly had little to smile about during the last few months. Motoring over to him, the scientist held out his hand and received a firm grip in return.

For a moment, Huey kept his smile up before his expression turned serious. "Before we begin," he calmly stated, "I want to say that I'm sorry for my part in everything that happened thanks to the inspection. I let them in, gave them the opportunity to catch us all unaware, and everyone is paying the price for my choice. If-if," he paused, drawing back a shuddering breath, "if I hadn't gone behind Snake or Kaz's backs none of this might have happened."

Locking eyes with Chico, he continued on. "I-I also wanted to say I was sorry about Paz." The bedridden preteen stiffened at the name, an action that did not go unnoticed. "Morpho told me what happened to her. She….at the end of it all…she chose Snake, MSF, and most importantly you Chico." He rested a hand over his friend's trembling one. "She never spoke, never gave us up, and even in her final moments she protected us. I think in that she proved where her loyalty and her heart truly lay; with us, and with you the most of all. She is a hero to you, and to me as well, for everything she did as our comrade and friend, even if no one else will see it like that."

He took a breath before speaking again. "You are also deserving of an apology Chico. You wouldn't be called traitor nor would you have to deal with the responsibility of the guilt that made you mutilate yourself if I hadn't gone ahead with the inspection. The others blame you for speaking out, but really all the blame should be placed at my feet. Everything you went through is indirectly my fault and I…" Now tears of remorse ran down Huey's cheeks as the ever present guilt roiled in his gut, the burden that gave him nightmares of his failure or kept him awake when sleep deserted him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything!" He closed his eyes in grief, the people he called friends glaring at him with accusation inside his mind.

There was a rustling of sheets, and Huey felt his hands clasped gently. Opening his eyes, he saw Chico calmly meeting his gaze, his own guilt and shame apparent in his expression. He grabbed a notepad and pen by his bedside and wrote carefully, as if each word came from the soul. Almost shyly, he passed it to Huey, whom accepted it with an equal amount of caution. Whom knew what Chico thought about his self-pitying rant?

He looked at the paper, and something about the sheer simplicity of those words stalled his mind.

_It was never truly your fault Huey. You may have unlocked the door but you were not the one to open it. That was my role in their scheme. We are both at fault for what we've done, but the only path is to move forward and honour the dead as best we can. That's what Snake would have wanted us to do, isn't it? So enough tears. You are not alone._

Silence descended like a blanket over them, and as they sat, pondering the words that hung in the air, there came understanding, and with that understanding, empathy. They had both suffered from their guilt, and to have someone that knew exactly how you felt was…nice.

After a while, Huey broke the quiet. "So, how are you Chico? How are you recovering? The nurse told me you haven't responded to their questions about your self-mutilation. Morpho told me that he thinks you did it as a form of penance, but I want to hear it from you. Please?"

The boy paused, shrewdly considering his comrade, before he started writing on the pad again. After a minute, he passed it back over.

_Morpho is right. I cut my tongue out to make up for what I did to our comrades. It is my punishment for speaking out, and to ensure that I never betray anyone else like that again._

"Oh, Chico…."

_Don't fret Huey. It was my choice, and I'd do it again if I had to._

"Huh? But why?"

_That's a simple answer: guilt. _

_What happened in Camp Omega….what happened between Paz and me…it taught me a lot of new things about life, none all of them pleasant. If you want to know why this change happened, I need to tell you about everything._

"…alright then Chico. Please tell me what happened in Camp Omega. Please tell me what happened to both you and Paz in there."

_It may take a while._

"We have nothing but time, don't we?"

_Okay then. It started when I arrived at the base…_

**(*****)**

It was mid-afternoon by the time Chico had finished his story. Bright sunshine filled the room, contrasting the grim mood that permeated now it.

Huey leaned back, his mind spinning with horror as he recounted Chico's words. To think that 'interrogation techniques' like that were used on his friends, one a teenager and the other too weak to resist, was horrifying. An even worse tangent of thought was the fact that those methods were accepted by the guards and inflicted (from what Chico told of the other prisoners Snake had extracted) innocents whom had the bad luck to end up on their blacklist. If those were Cipher's methods, no wonder Snake had distanced himself as far away as he could.

The scientist swallowed and tried to speak, to comfort his injured friend, but what words were there for experiences like that? What on earth could he possibly say that didn't sound patronising or underwhelming?

There were none.

Chico shifted on the bed, restless after his written retelling, and Huey's eyes were drawn to his feet. Though bandaged, it was obvious that the wounds Chico had received prevented him from walking. Hell, even standing would be a torture for him now.

In the back of his mind, the inventive part of Huey reared his head. It would be feasible, though there would be trial and error in the process, to create artificial tendons for Chico. All he'd have to do would apply some of the ideas he'd had to improve ZEKE's legs on a much smaller scale….

No, that would have to come later. Right now Huey had more important things to worry about. Chico needed him.

The scout had picked up a Walkman, scuffed yet still useable, and passed it to Huey, indicating that he should listen to it. He couldn't help but feel uneasy but Chico gave a reassuring smile at him. Whatever was on the tape, he seemed to convey non-verbally, would not scar his friend.

With no other option, Huey placed the headphones in and hit play.

**(*****)**

"_But together, I think we can. I am watching you sleep as I record this. You have made me believe. That I will make it out of here… And that – no matter what happens – it will not be the end for me."_

"_Thank you, Chico."_

As the last words of Paz ended, Huey shook his head in wonder. If anyone else from MSF heard this, they might reconsider their stance on both Paz and Chico.

Nah. Considering Kaz was breathing fire right now, they'd probably toss the tape into the sea.

"I'm honoured you chose to share this with me Chico, but if I may ask, what's the intention behind doing so?"

The pad and pen were picked up once more, and Chico began writing again, his face thoughtful as he tried to make his message clear.

_It is simple Huey. You remember the last part of the message?_

"Yeah. She claimed that it wouldn't be the end of her."

_Yes. That's my point. It won't be the end of her. Paz will live on through me._

"Live on though you?"

Chico glanced at Huey again, and his face expressed more than words could. Huey calmly looked at him as fear of rejection struggled with the need to speak of his plan. Gently, the scientist held his hand again, soothing his nerves and giving him the courage to move forward. Pulling his appendage away, he wrote the words that had stewed inside his mind long enough.

_I don't want to be a man anymore Huey._

Chico waited for the outrage and confusion, but was surprised by how _calm _Huey looked at the news. Indeed, he just looked at the pad with a thoughtful gleam in his eyes. "Is there any particular reason you want to do something so drastic?"

Shaking off his befuddlement, Chico wrote again.

_All my life I wanted to be thought of as a man, yes? I liked the idea of being a man, of being someone others could rely on and respect. I tried everything I could for my compas and everyone in MSF to see me as such._

_Then Camp Omega happened. Skull Face twisted the idea of being a man for me, ruined it with his poison and corruption. He told me I was a real man before he left the black site, and he was either talking about me selling you all out, my act with Paz, or a combination of both. His reason doesn't matter. The concept fills me with both shame and disgust for what I did. I just can no longer identify with the concept of being a 'man' now. _

_Paz though…she was strong. She never gave up, even when they…did things to her. She showed compassion for me, even though I didn't deserve it. She represents everything I want to be. _

"All this to ensure that her memory will live on with you?"

_If it had been Strangelove and yourself in the same situation, would you not wish for her to carry on in some way?_

"….point taken, Chico."

_What is your opinion Huey?_

The scientist fiddled with his glasses as he considered his words. "I think," he said with great care, "that you went through enough in Camp Omega to warrant genuine gender identity issues. Your reasons are clear to me, and have enough evidence to earn my co-operation. If you are willing, I would be glad to pay for the operation out of my own pocket."

Chico shot up ramrod straight, dumbstruck by the offer. Huey smiled at him again and continued. "I sympathise with you Chico. We both love women that have left our lives in some way, only Paz left yours forever. If I can help give you some closure, I gladly would. I have enough money from my work in the CIA and MSF stashed away to help pay for the operation, and afterwards I can take you back to my home in the United States to recover. I, uh, doubt Amanda is willing to take you back right now anyways.

A quizzical tilt of the head from Chico.

"Uh, she and the other Sandinistas have vetoed you from the group. I'll explain more later."

A slow nod was returned.

"Will you accept my offer though?"

The boy stared at him for some time, expression intent, before he responded with a nod and warm smile.

_Yes. Thank you Huey._

**(*****)**

**6:45 PM, July 6, 1975**

"Alright, we're just going to prepare for the next round of hormone therapy. You'll be taken to the room when we're fully prepped."

Chico nodded at the doctor in question as he read a letter from Huey. Arrangements were being made over on his end, it claimed, and there shouldn't be any problems provided everything went alright.

Huey had departed a week after arriving in Havana, intending to use his extensive network of contacts in the scientific community to aid Chico in his quest. Apparently he'd secured the services of a surgical team to operate on Chico anonymously (one 'Dr Clark' had sent a letter offering her own skills but Huey had politely declined. "The type of woman that would clone a human just to see if it was possible," he claimed in that week's letter) and had also found a hormone specialist that could (with some time, effort, and money) develop a hormone that he'd only need to take once after the operation and from there would have a natural process affecting him.

Everything was on track. The documentation was being thrashed out, the living arrangements were being made, and Huey had promised him a 'little surprise' to help him walk again.

Chico couldn't help but feel enthused by that promise.

He kept himself busy during the wait. His sign language was improving by leaps and bounds and he was learning to mouth his words as well.

Still, it was getting lonely by himself. The staff were all kind and hospitable to him but he found himself often missing his sister, a feeling that left both bitterness and resignation.

He knew that Amanda was pragmatic, a trait she'd picked up fighting for Nicaragua with the Sandinistas and one that had exemplified after becoming commandant, and that regardless of how she felt about a person, if they had become a weakness or liability, she'd show no remorse for their death if it meant the safety of the many.

Chico knew this, had known it ever since she picked up a gun after their village was burnt to ashes and fought back, and had accepted it. When Snake had mentioned that she had told him to put him out of his misery to spare him the humiliation of torture, Chico had felt indignant but at least understood why she'd asked that of the soldier. He even understood preparing herself for the worst, a logical reaction to his capture by the marines.

That didn't mean she could be happy at the thought of his passing.

That _hurt_.

Was she happy with the possibility she could concentrate on Nicaragua's liberation without being weighed down with the responsibility of caring for a sibling?

Regardless he hadn't the means to ask her why. He had no idea where the Sandinistas were, and even if he could contact them, Amanda had thrown him out the group on top of disowning him. Even if he re-joined the fight for his homeland, they'd shun him at best or shoot him at worst.

That bridge was burned, but he was lucky to have Huey and Morpho as allies. He hoped, someday, that he'd be able to repay them for their kindness.

The nurse walked into the room. "We're ready for you now," she said as he put his letter on the small table. As he was wheeled out for his next round of therapy, Chico smiled at the small picture of Paz Huey had given him, face flushed and happy after she played in the soccer match.

"_Nearly there Paz. Nearly there."_

**(*****)**

**7:30 AM, August 11, 1975**

"Are you ready Chico?"

Resting in his hospital bed, the scout nodded once at Huey before peeking back at his cards. The scientist had returned to Havana half a week ahead of the surgical team, happy to await them in the company of his friend.

They were playing poker to pass the time before the operation began. If they were being honest (they were), they had terrible poker faces (they did), and if it had been a game involving Snake or Strangelove they'd be haemorrhaging money (they would be). Still, the operation was due in an hour, and it relaxed Chico, which in turn relaxed Huey.

The clock ticked steadily forward. Sixty minutes from now, the first step would be taken.

Huey nervously wiped his glasses before speaking up. "I, ah, have that surprise I was talking about ready and waiting to be presented after the operation. With your permission, I'd like to get it ready while you're still unconscious. Make it something you'll be pleased to wake up to, y'know?"

A fluid motion of the hands. _"I trust you Huey. Do as you will."_

"You won't regret this Chico."

"_I'm sure I won't. Another round while we wait?"_

"Heh. Not gonna hold back this time."

A knock on the doorframe. "You're about to be taken to pre-op." The head of the hired team stated as he passed by in the opposite direction. Regretfully, the two placed their cards down.

"I'd better go see if everything's prepped and ready," Huey remarked as motored over to the door. He paused at the threshold and looked Chico straight in the eyes.

"Good luck Chico."

"_See you on the other side."_

**(*****)**

Everything was ready. There was no turning back now.

As he was wheeled into the theatre, Chico took a deep breath.

This was it. This was the defining moment of his life.

The death of Chico…and the birth of Quiet.

**(*****)**

As consciousness returned, Chico felt so _odd_. His body felt…changed.

Had it truly happened? Or was this all some vivid dream and he was still stuck in his bed, only with a broken body and a shattered spirit?

"_Chico…"_

_Paz?_

"_Chico, it's time to wake up now."_

_Huh?_

"Say hello to the new you!"

With a mighty effort, Chico opened his eyes, only to shut them from the bright ceiling light. Once the brightness had receded, he tentatively opened them again and he was startled to see Huey, grinning like an idiot and holding a mirror.

That mirror had a face on it. His face – _no, her _face.

She smiled and the reflection smiled back. She frowned and it frowned. It winked when she did.

Something bubbled inside and she couldn't stop the frothing joy that manifested as a giddy laugh.

Quiet was born.

**(*****)**

Adapting to a new body was tough, but there was one add-on that she hadn't expected.

Quiet sat on the edge of her bed, nervousness and apprehension curdling in her stomach. Across from her on the other side of the room, Huey sat with an encouraging smile on his face. "You can do this," he softly intoned. "Baby steps, remember?"

She nodded and drew a breath. She placed her feet on the floor and exhaled.

No pain. Baby steps.

Cautiously she raised a leg and took a step.

No pain.

Another step meant the same result.

"After I saw the damage to your tendons I decided to try my hand at constructing artificial ones," Huey noted as she slowly made her way across the room towards him. "I won't bore you with the details but you're probably going to have greater strength in your legs now. We'll have to runs some tests back home after your recovery to be totally sure though. So, what do you think?"

Quiet reached his chair and looked down at him with a smile. _"I think you're a goddamn miracle worker Huey."_

**(*****)**

**8:20 AM, August 21, 1975**

They were preparing to leave. Quiet had filled out her new identity as Stefanie Emmerich to pose as Huey's niece while she was living in America. Whatever scant possessions she had accumulated were packed and their flight left in five hours.

There was one thing Quiet had to do first. Had to do, as there was likely never going to be another chance after today.

One person she had to say goodbye to.

Snake looked nearly the same as the day she'd last seen him. _Nearly_. The biggest change was the hideous prosthetic in place of his left arm of course but the worst was just how _vulnerable _the legend looked. Quiet distinctly remembered Snake snoozing in the sunlight on the combat deck once only to snap back into action when a new trainee got overtly violent with his sparring partner and broke up the brawl FOX-style. Then after everything was over he'd just returned to his deckchair like nothing happened. To everyone there, it had been a reminder that he was able to spring into action at a moment's notice.

It was hard to reconcile that memory with the reality before her.

Nervously, she sat by his bedside. Taking a breath to steady her nerves, she started signing to the inert form before her.

"_Hey Snake. It's me, Chico. I've changed a bit, haven't I? It's a little stupid to do this, but I want to say some things before I leave."_

"_I'm Quiet now, both in name and description. I'd tell you exactly why, but I think we'd better do that another day. Maybe we'll have a smoke together, yes?"_

"_Huey said that he came to say goodbye himself earlier. He's hurting, Snake. I see in his eyes that he still blames himself for what happened to everyone, but most of all he blames himself for you. The inspection was false, but he only had the best of intentions for MSF and you. He wants to make amends to all of us I think, and I hope that the day you meet face to face again will be a happy one."_

"_Kaz was hurting too, the day you went comatose. Watch out for him too, okay? I think he might get into trouble without you there to help. He may want my blood, but he's still a comrade. Be the light he has faith in, and he'll follow you to the end. I know he will."_

"_We all think of you as an inspiration in our own ways, and I want to make you proud somehow. I'm going to hunt down XOF someday Snake. I will reach my dream of becoming a hunter, and when I do there will be a reckoning. The dead will not go unavenged."_

"_You will not go unavenged."_

"_Goodbye…and take care, friend."_

**(*****)**

Quiet jumped as the plane rocked from turbulence. Having on flown on a helicopter in her life (and not really enjoying it truth be told), she'd been moderately nervous of the flight to America. Hey had done his best to alleviate her fears. "It's easy." He claimed as they had buckled their seatbelts. "All you have to do is relax, and your worries will fade away. If you still have a hard time relaxing, try to catch some shut-eye or think of something that makes you feel happy."

Fat chance of that happening, she thought grumpily as they jolted once more. Huey himself was snoring lightly to her right and she didn't have the heart to wake him for some conversation, and despite having the window seat, there was little to catch her eye other than the ocean (and it made her feel damn queasy too to look at how high they were flying).

A particularly nasty impact hit the plane and it took all of Quiet's willpower not to scream. She _really_ felt like a smoke right about now.

Quick, she thought desperately, what could she do to soothe her frayed nerves?

Well, there was humming a tune, but she didn't know-

Wait a minute…

**(*****)**

_Was someone…humming?_

_Chico stirred as the melody called him to the realm of the waking. Gingerly picking himself off the cage floor, he yawned softly and blearily focused his eyes on Paz in the adjoining cell. She was humming a song as she watched the sunrise, eyes lighting up as it slowly rose. _

"_Paz?"_

_She stopped at his interruption and for a fearful second Chico thought she was going to snap at him. Instead she graced him with a sweet smile that melted his heart all over again. "Good morning Chico. I…I didn't disturb your rest, did I?"_

_He shook his head with a smile of his own. "No…no you didn't." He replied honestly as he shuffled over to her. "That was a nice song you were humming. What's it called?"_

_The blond looked at her knees sheepishly. "It's called 'Sins of the Father'." She whispered softly. "I just heard it somewhere somehow. It is…catchy…isn't it?"_

"_Very." _

"_Would you like to hear another song?"_

"_Are you sure? I don't want the guards to hurt you."_

"_They won't do anything if I stay quiet enough."_

"_If you're sure, then yes please Paz, I would like to hear yu sing again."_

"_Alright. This one is 'Love Deterrence'."_

"_Hey, I know that one!" _

"_Heh. I'm glad you do. Would you like to sing with me?"_

"_I-Thank you Paz."_

"_It is no trouble. Now, you start by…"_

**(*****)**

They had spent that morning humming 'Love Deterrence' and watching the sunrise together before their daily 'session' began. Quiet grinned as the memory flowed over her and her nerves soothed as the familiar melody bubbled in her throat.

Plane ride? Pfft, no sweat. As long as she could remember the songs Paz had taught her in hell, there wasn't a thing that could make her jumpy.

As she breezed into the climax of the song, Quiet smiled at the view below.

"_America, here I come."_

**(*****)**

**A/N: Chapter Two = End!**

**Sorry it took forever. I blame my numerous hobbies and multiple ideas jumping up and down in my head, demanding attention. Chapter 3 has its outline done (mostly) and I'll begin writing after I've worked on a side project a bit more.**

**I hope Chapter Two was to everyone's enjoyment and yes I heard that Kojima claimed that Quiet wasn't Chico at TGS. I still say 'Troll' because that's what he is. Even if I'm proven false, I'll stay on for the whole thing. **

**Until next time, Repentant Wrecker signing off.**


End file.
